Your City Match: Shenzhen

Population: 12.5 million

Average Wage: $13,980/year

Air Quality Index: 93 (Moderate)

Migrant Percentage: 65.3%

Once a bucolic fishing village, Shenzhen in recent years has transformed itself into the “Silicon Delta” of China, home to some of the most valuable tech companies in the world (e.g. Tencent, Huawei, Lenovo, and ZTE). Shenzhen’s rapid transition from rural backwater to the forefront of China’s technological future owes, in no small part, to its designation as the first “special economic zone” some 40 years ago, as part of Deng Xiaoping’s “reform and opening up” policy.

Like America’s Silicon Valley, Shenzhen has a high tolerance for migrants, evidenced by one of the highest migrant populations in China. The fact that most Shenzhenites are from somewhere else may be correlated with a booming tech industry, which usually derives creativity from a diverse mix of people. Because it is a young city, Shenzhen has a vibrant urban life that accommodates the influx of young techies and migrants. Luohu district and Coco Park are home to the city’s growing night life scene. Many residents can also take day trips to Lianhuashan, a 370-acre public park situated in downtown Shenzhen.